OXNARD ’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
Customers revel in Nothing Bundt Cakes pop up sale VOL. XXVIII NO. 35
n See page 11
AUGUST 28, 2020
City accuses developer and county of
STRONG-ARMING OXNARD OVER
FISHERMAN’S WHARF
By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard-- The California Coastal Commission’s unanimous rejection of the Ventura County Harbor Department’s request for an LCP (Local Coastal Plan) amendment override of the Coastal Land Use Plan (LUP) and Coastal Zoning Ordinance of the certified City of Oxnard LCP at Fisherman’s Wharf continues with Harbor Director Mark Sandoval saying that evidence does not demonstrate that the Local Coastal Plan Amendment will meet the public needs of an area greater than the LCP.
T
HE item drew tons of passionate response and emotion, as people vehemently challenged the project. Members of the Oxnard City Council spoke against the project and accused the developer of dismissing community input and doing what it wants. Councilman Bert Perello told the commission the developer planned to sue the city if not approved. He accused the county of doing nothing and allowing the site to fall into disrepair., Sandoval told the commission that Channel Islands Harbor is a resource for all area residents and beyond. “Fisherman’s Wharf was developed with harbors in the 1960s and 1970s
that provided a link between land and water,” he said. “It was part of the allure drawing visitors to harbors from all over the state.” Approximately 18 percent of the marina’s customers reside in Oxnard, and 28 percent live in Ventura County, but outside of Oxnard. “A full 56 percent reside outside Ventura County,” he said. “This is a regional asset with a regional draw. The Fisherman’s Wharf retail center, which is and has been 70 percent vacant, is an integral part of that development, but it cannot be developed as a standalone project.” Because the amendment lacks sufficient specificity and standards, n Fisherman’s Wharf, see page 5
Oxnard-- The conversation with Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem and Ventura County District Five Board of Supervisor candidate Carmen Ramirez continues with her frustration over the Fisherman’s Wharf redevelopment issue and their use of videos featuring Spanish-
speakers advocating the project. Ramirez faces Oxnard Mayor Tim Flynn in the Nov. election, as neither received 50 percent of the vote necessary to win. The official vote total of the Super Tuesday primary in May had Carmen Ramirez with 7,137 votes and 27.88 percent and Tim Flynn with 7,475 votes and 29.20 percent. Despite Covid-19, the campaign
keeps moving forward as volunteers have over 2,000 postcards to send out on Ramirez’s behalf that will be mailed in late Aug. The campaign continues its aggressive phone banking efforts to get the message out to the public. Ramirez wanted to know who approached the people in the videos and asked for redevelopment at the Wharf. n Ramirez, see page 7
Brownley rallies to save the post office By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com
Ramirez envisions more communication and a better Ventura County as supervisor By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com
(Photo by Chris Frost)
Congresswoman Julia Brownley and Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez address the crowd at the Port Hueneme Post Office.
Carmen Ramirez
(Courtesy photo)
Port Hueneme-- Congress woman Julia Brownley held a press conference Aug. 20, at 3:15 p.m. at the post office in response to concerns from constituents who have experienced delayed or interrupted mail service. The post office has been hit hard because of Covid-19. The six-member board of governors, a bipartisan commission appointed by President Donald Trump, advised a $25 billion bailout the United States House of Representatives passed. Brownley’s concern centered around restoring the post office to the service level it enjoyed on Jan. 1 before Covid-19 hit and ensuring access to mail-in ballots during the election. According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office, the post office has lost $69 billion over the past 11 fiscal years—including $3.9 billion in the fiscal year 2018. Brownley told the crowd that from its outset, the post office set out to bind the country together and facilitate citizen inclusion. “At the time, the post office was an important distributor of the news, via home-delivered newspapers,” she said. “In addition to distributing the news to our fledgling nation, it also connected the state government, allowed businesses to expand and was inarguably the foundation on which our just democratic and free society was built.” As the country grew and became n Brownley, see page 6